Thank you for having us to stay for the last few days. It has been interesting. I thought you had a quite spectacular skyline, when viewed from Kowloon, over toward central, but so has Shanghai. Yours is just a little bigger.
If I'm honest, there is something a little vulgar about the vast displays of wealth in Kowloon. Every few shops is a jewellery store with pieces worth thousands of pounds (GBP- I did the conversion), with no one in them. I wonder how much they sell every day? The same brand has 15 different stores in the square mile where we stayed - overkill? As well as this, the shopping centres seem to be crammed with high end fashion and jewellery brands, Prada, Gucci etc. Again, there didn't seem to be many people in the stores (but somehow millions in the corridors). I wonder where the weath comes from for people to be able to afford them. Don't misunderstand me, there is a place for these stores, it just seems like there are so very many of them here. I noticed there are people begging outside, perhaps that's the point.
I feel I should tell you, I'm not a fan of being dripped on, or splashed from the countless air conditioning units that leave a perennial puddle in the street. I assume the locals are used to it?
'No sir, I do not want a tailor made suit.....nor yours sir......nor indeed yours. You sir, if you had any understanding of probability would have realised that if I didn't want a suit from those chaps in the previous ten feet of space, I'm very unlikely to suddenly want one from you'.... Sorry about that Hong Kong, now where was I....
Oh yes, your museums are OK. Restaurants, fine to good, but expensive compared to your mainland neighbours. The peak on HK island is fun, but I'm glad I walked up, the queue for the tram looked hours long. The run on the HK trail was good, with nice views, but I can run anywhere.
Today we cycled on Lantau, gosh those mossies were persistent. It must have been over 35 degrees and so much of it was unridable. I'm not sure I've ever lost that much fluid through my skin before, must be the heat and humidity I presume. Saying that, it was a challenge and it was epic:
Just the sort of day we like. Thanks for that, but if you could just sort those pesky biting blighters....much appreciated.
You know, I've stayed in all sorts of places over the last six months, but Chongking mansions is quite unique. I had more space in my camper van, than I do in the room I've paid for here and at least in my camper I didn't have to wade through countless Indian men trying to sell me things, just to get to my door. Oh, and the lifts and the stairwells are indeed something out of a Hitchcock movie....no Hong Kong, that wasn't a compliment.
'No sir, if I wanted a bag I'd go to a bag shop. If I wanted a watch, guess what.....I'd go to a watch shop, and I can assure you, I definitely don't want the drugs you're offering me.' Apologies again Hong Kong, I seem to keep getting hassled. Perhaps it's the hair colour?
Anyway, I accept that perhaps I've come in the wrong season, or I may not have been to the right places to allow you to shine...you do have some nice views after all, I'll give you that, but I've seen many nice views in the last six months, and you don't even make it into the top 50. I'm sure you have a lot going for you Hong Kong, but I'm afraid I may have missed it, and I don't think I'll bother coming back to give it another try.
Yours sincerely,
Sam Rose
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